I shook my head.
No.
Something was wrong.
I started walking faster.
Then faster.
By the time I reached the door—
My hand was shaking.
I stopped.
Just for a second.
Listening.
Silence.
Too quiet.
I pushed the door open.
"Mom?"
No answer.
I stepped inside.
The house looked normal.
Same couch. Same table. Same smell.
Nothing changed.
Everything changed.
"Mom?"
Footsteps.
From the kitchen.
Relief hit me instantly.
She's here.
She's fine.
Everything is fine.
She walked out, wiping her hands with a towel.
Casual.
Normal.
Alive.
I almost laughed.
"Mom, you won't believe what—"
She stopped.
Mid-step.
Her eyes landed on me.
And stayed there.
Not recognition.
Not surprise.
Just… confusion.
My smile faded.
"…Mom?"
She frowned slightly.
"Excuse me?"
My heart skipped.
"What?"
"Who are you?"
The world went silent.
"No… Mom, it's me."
She took a small step back.
"Why are you in my house?"
My chest tightened instantly.
"What are you talking about?"
"I'm calling someone if you don't leave."
Her voice changed.
Sharp.
Defensive.
Afraid.
Afraid of me.
"No—no, listen, it's me!"
I stepped closer.
Bad idea.
She moved back faster.
"Don't come closer!"
My hands froze in the air.
This wasn't real.
This couldn't be real.
"Mom, please… look at me."
"I am looking at you."
Her voice trembled.
"I don't know you."
Something inside me cracked.
"No… no, that's not possible."
I looked around desperately.
Pictures.
Family photos.
On the wall.
I ran to them.
My hands almost slipped.
I grabbed the frame.
Looked.
My breath stopped.
She was there.
Smiling.
Standing in the same place.
Same house.
Same photo.
But—
I wasn't in it.
My hands started shaking violently.
"No… no, no, no…"
I grabbed another frame.
Same thing.
Another.
Same.
Every picture.
Every memory.
Gone.
Like I never existed.
Behind me—
Her voice.
"Get out."
I turned slowly.
Her hand was on her phone.
Ready.
Afraid.
"Mom… please…"
My voice broke.
Nothing.
No reaction.
No recognition.
Just a stranger looking at another stranger.
Tears burned in my eyes.
"This is my house…"
"No," she said firmly.
"It's not."
Silence.
Heavy.
Crushing.
I took a step back.
Then another.
Then another.
My legs moved on their own.
I reached the door.
Opened it.
Stopped.
Just for a second.
Hoping.
Praying.
"Mom…"
Nothing.
I stepped outside.
The door closed behind me.
Soft.
Final.
Like something ending.
I didn't know how long I walked.
Minutes.
Hours.
It didn't matter.
Nothing felt real anymore.
Nothing made sense.
My chest felt empty.
Like something had been ripped out of me.
Slowly—
I reached into my bag.
The notebook.
Of course.
Always the notebook.
My hands trembled as I opened it.
The page was already written.
"It started."
My vision blurred.
"No…"
The ink moved again.
Slow.
Cold.
"You waited too long."
Tears finally fell.
"I didn't know…"
More words.
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
"Now they're taking everything."
My breathing broke.
"Make it stop…"
Silence.
Then—
One last sentence appeared.
"You're next."
My heart stopped.
Slowly…
Very slowly…
I looked up.
Across the street—
I saw someone familiar.
A boy.
Standing still.
Watching me.
My face.
My body.
My clothes.
Everything.
It was me.